Once Upon a Dream
by southern cross
Summary: The title of Captain will only carry him so far. To survive the war that is coming and exact his revenge, he must take a stand, as a king.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own OUAT, but if I were so lucky it would be Sleeping Hook all day and all night, with a heavy dose of Jefferson for kicks.

* * *

Smee was not confident in his Captain's ability to pull off the latest scheme to exact revenge on the Dark One. The plan was too complicated, too risky, too final and he didn't like it, 'I don't like it Cap'n,' not one bit.

'Too many things could go wrong sir,' Hook eyed the man he held in highest confidence onboard, the nerves were apparent in the twisting of the red hat in Smee's hand. Only Smee would dare talk against his plans and not worry over losing his tongue, well Hook would consider taking his tongue, who needed a tongue really?

'Do you think me a fool Mr. Smee,' Hook grinned cheekily, Smee stuttered a no, 'Do you think me incapable of wooing a lass,' Smee shook his head emphatically no. 'Then what could go wrong?'

Hook knew lots and lots of things could go wrong. Pixie dust was unpredictable at the best of times and he had no real idea how twenty year old dust dug up from a grave of a half-mad fairy would work.

Fighting off the shudder, he had seen first hand the effects of dust gone wrong, but there was not time to find another option. He pushed aside the doubts, the dust would work, it had too. Hook had worked to hard and waited too long for his revenge for this not to work because this was it, he knew it in his bones, that this was his one last chance to skin his crocodile.

A fortuitous trip to Neverland to see a mermaid about a tail had kept himself free of the Evil Queen's curse. Thinking that his chance had passed when the Great Spell washed over the Enchanted Forest, taking all of its inhabitants somewhere else, including the damnable Rumpelstiltskin Hook had taken to drinking and plundering, hoping to quench his need for blood in that of others and his own.

Now that spell was cracking if he did not move against the Dark One, he never would. Meeting the fair-haired warrior and the One True Queen had been an unbelievable stroke of luck, taking him into their confidence only after he had convinced them he had survived the massacre by the Mad Queen, he had stumbled onto the encampment quite by accident and had only meant to pilfer a few items no one would miss since they were dead.

They had spoken of this Storybtook at length he had thought them both mad at first until the Princess had shown him images on a tiny screen that could only be from _not here_.

With the air ripe with strife and a war looming Hook needed to be in the best position possible. A crew full of marginally loyal pirates on a patched together ship was not going to cut it when the walls fell and the war began.

Tucking himself away in his cabin with a bottle of rum and a pouch ripe for smoking, he considered his options, assessed and weighed all of the information he had gathered to predict as many outcomes as he could until one path revealed itself.

'Well come on then Smee, we've dallied long enough, my Princess needs waking, I've got royalty to marry into.'


	2. A plan born

A plan born.

Fighting through the wilds surrounding the Sleeping Princess had taken days longer than Hook had planned and he had ruined his second best waistcoat.

'Bloody stupid spells,' taking a final swing at the aggressive foliage Hook stumbled through the opening. After the first few hours in it had become apparent that whatever spells had been cast around the castle were as ripe as they had ever been and had actively fought to keep the lot of them out.

Stubborn to a fault, Hook was not about to let some thorns and roses get the better of him.

'Land's end Cap'n,' Smee muttered Hook felt his breath as he peeked over his shoulder, 'It's a Princess.'

The scene before them was one of shock and wonder so he bit back his normally bruising retort.

Wild roses climbed the columns of a stone gazebo at its center a raised dais, 'There you are my Little Princess.'

Moving in for a closer look, he was glad to see the steady rise and fall of her chest. She was really here and really asleep, it shouldn't surprise him after everything he had seen in the magic of his world. How could she have just been left here, to sleep and dream, it seemed like such a waste.

Well he was here now and she was, to his pointed relief, absolutely stunning.

'She's a pretty thing ain't she Cap'n,' Smee remarked.

'Fool, she's bloody gorgeous,' brushing aside the decaying rose petals he leaned in for a closer look.

Aurora, Princess of the Sands, as lovely and fair as her tales of legend had made her out to be with long hair that hinted at a golden autumn, pale cheeks and lips full enough he was half-tempted to steal a kiss.

Shouts of the approaching men drew him from his thoughts, there was work to be done before night fell. Should all go as planned tonight he would be sharing her sleep, 'Smee, gather the men.'

Over the next several hours Hook oversaw the delivery of supplies, directed where and how the camp was to be built and most importantly assigned tasks to each of the men.

'I'm counting on you Smee to keep them in line and productive,' the man turned a mite green at the thought of the responsibility, 'They'll do as you say, none of them would risk slicing my throat and unleashing the magic on themselves.'

Hook had planned for one or more to consider betraying their sleeping Captain. The crew had seen the effects of pixie dust when its magic was interrupted, Hook simply had to remind them of what happened to Typhoon Teddy and knew they would keep their distance. He had brought along enough rum to keep their nights occupied and their days would be filled with exploring and setting to rights the castle that loomed behind their camp.

The men were born of the sea and her call would draw them to her bosom eventually, but Hook had every intention of being awake and seated in his throne room, that they cleaned of course, with a whole bevy of new subjects to lord over well before that happened.

'Are you quite certain of this Captain,' the hat was once again being twisted, 'It's not to late-'

Hook lifted his hand, fingers warning off the dangers.

'My mind and heart are set on this course Smee,' the sun had set, the men retiring with their bottles of rum.

The small vial of dust glowed purple, he tightened his grip on it as he moved towards the dais. Shrugging out of his coat he passed it off to Smee, each step closer to her he could feel that this was where he was supposed to be.

'You're certain she's in there,' Smee whispered. That gave Hook pause, there was a chance that her sleep was so deep, so dark, she would be lost to everything but the spell. He shook his head, no, he could feel her in there as foolish as it sounded.

'She's in there, waiting,' the need to move was too much he closed the last bit of distance between them.

'I pray its good dreams she's having then,' Hook jolted looking over at Smee.

'And what pray tell would she be having.'

Smee's eyes were wide, 'Nightmares sir, 'tis a powerful spell that could fell such a kingdom with so many protectors.'

The fairies who had blessed the infant princess had been a formidable force, Maleficent had done her due diligence. Hook was ashamed to admit that he had considered what Smee had suggested.

Dreams or nightmares, he would have her heart and her kiss, 'I have lived a life full of dreams and nightmares Smee, who better then to navigate through whatever her mind conjures?'

There was a truth and sincerity to his words that caught him unexpected.

'Enough of this, you have your orders,' Hook turned back towards his future.

'Aye aye Captain, travel with the brightest of stars to guide you,' Smee stepped back allowing him the privacy to begin his task.

There was hardly room for them to share on the stone slab, 'You think they would have given you something a mite more comfortable luv,' Hook whispered he knew she couldn't hear him, wouldn't care if he shouted, but it seemed wrong to be so bold.

The witch who had told him of the spell that would aid him in his quest, for an exorbitant amount of gold, had been specific in her instructions. Distance would weaken the spell, he must be as close as possible, with as much contact between them to make the strongest connection.

He scooped her up neatly in his arms, 'You're lucky I didn't take her up on the suggestion that we be skin to skin.' In his arms she was lighter than he expected, delicate in a way that the whores who had serviced him over the years weren't and Milah had certainly never been.

Sitting he stretched his legs out, cursing whoever had thought a stone bed would suffice for a sleeping spell set to last indefinitely. 'They couldn't have enchanted us a bed along with those blasted vines?'

Adjusting her unhelpful frame with a hooked arm and a good hand clutching a glass vial took some work, she ended up all but lying on top of him. Her legs were twisted up with his own and her head tucked neatly under his chin, it did not go unnoticed how well she fit in his arms. Smoothing back the strands of hair spread across her face, he pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head, a tender gesture he had not known he was still capable of.

With his mind clear of all thoughts but her, he uncapped the vial and whispered the words the witch had given him. Hook immediately felt the tug of magic and did not fight the pull of sleep as it took him under.


End file.
